Manny needs to stay in Boston

I know I haven't posted in a while - it was a disappointing ending to a season that looked promising from the beginning but fell apart shortly after the All-Star break.

With that being said, Dan Shaugnessy'scolumn in today's Globe pissed me off.

"Manny quit on us." How the hell do you know? Can you read his mind? Do you know what he was thinking? I understand Manny has acted like he is above rules before, but in this instance, do we really need to question whether he was actually hurt or not? I'd rather Manny sit out the rest of the season (which was gone to hell anyway) and not risk injuring his knee anymore than have him blow out his knee in a game that didn't really mean anything to the team.

I hate the way Shaugnessy always jumps on Manny. Probably because he hates the fact that Manny doesn't talk to the media. But trade Manny? Come on. I know he can be childish...it's part of his appeal to Red Sox Nation. We love the Manny who does the double point, and who goes through ridiculously long handshakes with his buddies in the dugout, or even the Manny who makes ridiculous blunders in left field because his head is up in space.

After all is said and done, he is one of the best right handed hitters in the American League, if not in all of baseball. Getting rid of him, just because some may be "tired of his act," is crazy. He is the 2004 World Series MVP.

The Sox will never get equal value in a trade for Manny. Forget about it. Manny stays in Boston until he is no longer producing as expected. If his numbers drop off, then we'll talk. But for now, he's done what he was brought here to do.

That was my $.02. Happy Thanksgiving.